The filmmakers, along with stunt coordinators Andy Gill and Steve Picerni, completed test after test to ensure the safety of the cast and crew. The Ferraris, driven by renowned stuntman Henry Kingi, were tested on an airport runway for speed and accuracy in steering and maneuverability. The car carrier was also tested to determine how fast the cars would slide off the deck of the carrier, how they would spin when hitting the pavement, how the force of the car being ejected affected the speed and direction of the carrier itself, not to mention the stuntmen and technicians strapped to the carrier with safety harnesses.
A great deal of planning went into determining the appropriate distances between the carrier, the dozens of stunt drivers in other vehicles and the camera truck mounted with an unwieldy camera platform holding a 65-pound Panavision camera, the director and eight camera and sound technicians. Engineers from the State of Florida’s Department of Transportation also insisted on the filmmakers running a series of tests to guarantee the bridge itself would not be damaged.
Both Picerni and Gill have worked on numerous projects for Bay and Bruckheimer. They knew the task set before them was to create a stunt that literally jumped off the page. To that end, the stunt team brought in an additional 25-30 drivers for the four-day shoot.
"Everything had to be way over the top," says Gill. "Whatever was called for in the script had to be expanded ten fold for Michael. It’s got to be one stunt after another. What makes the job easier is that Michael knows how to shoot action. He knows the correct angles. The real task is to stay ahead of him and have everything prepared, because so much of what he wants is in his head and until he sets the cameras, it’s anybody’s guess."
Picerni agrees. "Michael is very visual but unlike a lot of directors, he knows stunts. He knows what a squib is, he knows what piracell is, so when we talk to him about the gag, he understands the technical aspects of what it takes to make the stunt happen. Shooting one page of the MacArthur Causeway took four days, but we created the illusion he saw in his mind."
Four days sounds like a long time to shoot just one page of script. But the logistics are demanding and concise. "We had about 60 cars we’d have to reset after each take," Picerni notes. "And then the crew would have to clean up whatever debris was on the bridge from the previous take before we could start shooting again. It was very time consuming."
"Every shot is a big shot," adds Gill. "With Michael it’s all about prep. We had 15 cars caged, ready to be T-boned or wrecked, thrown off the carrier, and 25 sets of 5-point belts placed in cars standing by, waiting to go because we didn’t know how many times he wanted to do it."
To capture the action, filmmakers utilized a small go-cart, equipped with a 35mm camera, driving at speeds up to 100 mph next to the carrier for spectacular low angles. But to create the ultimate in fast, super close, first person intensity, Bay used a customized vehicle his crew termed the "Bay Rammer." Gutted inside and stripped to only bare essentials outside, the stunt department fortified the automobile's body by caging the interior for the driver (as is the custom for barrel rolls and other such dangerous car stunts), and similarly surrounding the exterior to protect three mounted cameras.
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